Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication image forming apparatus comprising a short-range wireless communication function, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, NFC (Near Field Communication), which is one type of short-range wireless communication (non-contact communication) is spreading in various fields. NFC has a very short communication range; when devices that perform communication approach within a few cm of each other, a wireless link is connected, and the wireless link is disconnected when they move apart. In this way, for devices in which NFC is installed, it is possible to perform communication by causing them to approach each other. For this reason, NFC can provide a convenient method for a user to simply use various services, and is attracting attention and being put to practical use in various fields.
As a technique in which NFC is used, there is a technique in which communication is performed by just performing pairing between information processing apparatuses by NFC, and subsequently switching (performing a handover) to another connection method (BlueTooth (registered trademark), WiFi-Direct, a wireless LAN). As a usage approach for such a handover, a method in which, in order for a user holding a mobile communication terminal to perform communication with an MFP (Multi-Function Printer) in front of the user, pairing between the mobile communication terminal and the MFP is performed by NFC, and then communication is performed via a wireless LAN is known.
However, a case in which the MFP detected by NFC cannot communicate with the mobile communication terminal by the wireless LAN for a reason of not being connected to a network or the like can be considered. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-187568 proposes that a mobile communication terminal list MFPs that can communicate by a wireless LAN, and if there is an MFP detected by NFC in the list, perform communication with the MFP via the wireless LAN, and if there is no MFP detected by NFC in the list, perform control to not perform a handover.
However, there is a problem with the above described conventional technique as recited below. In the above described conventional technique, when the MFP and the mobile communication terminal perform a handover, the MFP uses one connection method that it supports as the connection method to hand over communication from NFC to. However, there exist circumstances in which connection methods cannot be used in communication with the mobile communication terminal. For example, a wireless LAN cannot be used when the mobile communication terminal does not have authorization to access a network that the MFP is connected to. Accordingly, a method that selects a connection method to which to hand over communication by the handover so as to be able to use a connection method suited to the circumstances is required.